COLUMBA. 27 



pean bird. Bill yellowish translucent ; legs with a yellowish tinge ; skin round 

 the eye yellow ;. irides buff. 



Length. — I v^ inches ; expanse 24 ; wing 8 ; tail 4. {Jerdon,) I have only a 

 single specimen of this spscies from Shikarpoor, in Sind, and in a very unsatis- 

 factory state for describing. Jerdon says this species is found in Western and 

 Cenitral India, aaul is probably wigratory. 



Gen. Columba.— z/;;?j. 



Characters same as those of Palumbccna. 



36. Columba intermedia, S/nckl., Ann. Nat. Hist. Ser. \. xiii. 

 p. 39 ; Jei'd., B. Ind. ii. p. 469, No. 788 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs hid. B. p. 

 499 ; David et. Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 384 ; Hume and Day., Str. F, vii. p. 449 ; 

 Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 109; Scully, Str. F. viii. p. 339; Legge, B. Ceylon 

 p. 698 ; Blf.,East Pers. p. 268 ; Murray, Vert. Zool. Sind, p. 202. Columba 

 livia, apud. Bl. B. Burm., p. 145. — The Indian 5lub Rock Pigeon. 



Head, nape, chin, abdomen, vent and upper and under tail coverts dark 

 slaty grey; back, scapulars,, secondaries, tertials, inner vv'ebs of primaries and 

 rump pale ashy, paler on the rump ; the outer webs of the primaries dusky 

 grey, as are also their tips ; secondaries broadly tipped dusky, the innermost 

 tertials and greater wing coverts with a subterminal black patch on the outer 

 web only, forming two black wing bands ; neck all round and breast glossy, 

 changeable green and amethystine, in varying lights ; throat also slightly 

 tinged with glossy green; under wing coverts white; tail like the upper tail 

 coverts, or a little paler for two-thirds its length, then broadly black, with a 

 very narrow terminal ashy tip ; the basal two-thirds or more of the outer web 

 of the outermost feather white. Bill black ; cere whitish ; irides dull orange ; 

 legs pinkish red. 



Length. — 12 to 13 inches; wing 8| to 9 ; tail 5 ; bill at front 075. 



Hab. — Throughout India to Ceylon, the Himalayas, Assam, Burmah, 

 Persia, Beloochistan and Afghanistan in great abundance, congregating in 

 large flocks. Breeds throughout India. Nesting in mosques, tombs, build- 

 ings, walls, and in holes in rocks, and caverns. Eggs 2 in number, white and 

 glossy, P2 X 1-25. This with the next are the pigeons which with their 

 young are brought to the market in immense numbers and are purchased 

 largely for making pie. The flesh is more tender than those of the preceding, 

 excellent, mixed brown and white, succulent and as tasty as that of any Quail, 

 The upper layer of flesh on the breast is a little darker than the lower, and 

 is about the most succulent part if properly cooked. 



37. Columba Hvia, Bp., Ic. t. 62 ; Bodd., Pig. Pi. Enl. 5 10 ; Nau7n. 

 vogt. t. 150 ; Tem. Pig. t. 12 ; Gould, B. Eur. pi, 245 ; Gray, Handlist Birds 



